Monday 26 May 2014

Re-launch of the Royal Holloway MBA




Extra curricula launch of the SunKissed digital project

Over the past two years, following some deep market research with current and past MBA students, teaching staff, business partners and bench marking with leading competitors, we have made a number of substantial improvements to the Royal Holloway MBA programme that will commence on 22 September 2014 this year. 

Of course, the core of an MBA remains very much at the core of an MBA and the curriculum continues to cover the essential elements: finance, marketing, management, accounting, economics, strategy, leadership, technology, operations - we have taken the opportunity this major review presents us with to consolidate a number of the innovations that have been trialled over the last couple of years e.g. international study visit, drama ensemble development techniques, digital marketing with some new elements e.g. the year in business option to extend the dissertation into a second year, project management, a shift away from heavy weighting on exams, cross-cultural management and a more integrated, theme based team teaching approach that looks to take a joined up global view of management, rather than a silo disciplined view that has been popular in the past. 

Hogs Back Brewery study visit
Company visits will take place directly related to theoretical learning and assessments with take on a more practical nature that relies on reflective learning and, often, group collaboration (just like in the work place !)



Please check out the 'course overview' tab on this link to see a detailed week by week plan of the programme and a summary of the contents of each of the chunky modules. 



Many aspiring MBA candidates ask me the question "What is distinctive and special about the Royal Holloway MBA" - which being frankly open, is quite a difficult question to answer. (remember above my point about what makes an MBA, means that the skins can look quite similar) 


Airline Industry guest speaker session "Which seat would you choose ?"

The kind of question Prashob (India) fired at me I think... What I have tried to write down here are a summary of key points that I have picked up over the past four years in conversations with a wide range of MBA students (remember we have 100 flexible and distance learning students join us each June for summer school, I talk to a lot of MBAs....) I try to reflect what real MBA candidates and graduates feel about their own experiences...


Why study for the Royal Holloway MBA ?    Read more...



The following link shows the philosophy of the MBA programme ​- I have tried to project some of the feeling of the programme using the MBA Director blog (link below in my footer which includes a piece on Japanese KitKats following Hayata-sans (Japan) in person visit) and the YouTube channel (link below), you can see the smiling faces of students and staff, passionate about what they do, having fun learning and developing. I have tried to put across some of this in words for the web page, please check this page out: 


Learning to look at life differently: Royal Holloway MBA philosophy  Read more...




I do hope you like the look and feel of the new programme, applicant Erik from Norway suggested the new MBA looks very modern. 

Success ! End of Exams

Although potentially quite dangerous, I did walk through some current MBA students (Paola (Colombia) was there & she'll be able to validate this) ​they liked the linked themes, the reduced exam load, the new project management and digital marketing, the part time options (that should see Wednesdays often a 'free' day), the more careful spread of coursework through the year and the year in business option. They felt it involved lots of positives and no particular negatives - although I didn't manage to get them to sign up to do another year..... 


Interested ? Do get in touch directly with programme director justin.obrien@royalholloway.ac.uk


Justin O'Brien 
MBA Director 
Founders East 111, School of Management,
Royal Holloway University of London